Attachment for dental articulators.



W. W. EVANS.

ATTACHMENT FOR DENTAL AI iTICULATORS. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.18,1912.

Patented-Jan. 21, 1913.

I av IN VEN T01? W] NESSES 1 Jr. 7?? a v4 Wmey UTE WILLIAM W. EVANS, 0FHAMILTON, VIRG INIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR DENTAL AR'IIGULATORS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented an. 21, 1913.

Application filed September 18, 1912. Serial No. 721,0;7.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. Evans, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Hamilton, in the county ofLoudounand State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements "in- Attachments for Dental Articulators; and I do herebydeclare the ,followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable. others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. I r

This invention relatesto improvement in attachments for vdentalarticulators,the object of the invention being to provide means to beemployed on an articulator for facilitating the setting up of artificialteeth on a model in such manner that the scientific correctness of thelocation and spacing of the teeth shall be insured.

With this object in view, the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construct-ion and combinations of parts as hereinafter setforth and pointed. out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure tachment with the uppermodelholder; Fig.

7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-bar 37; Flg. Sis anenlarged view of a portion of the spring bow 34; Fig. 9 is aviewillustrating a modification of the crossbail, and Fig. 10 is a viewshowing amodification' of the cross bar;

' '1 represents the frame soc 'ets toreceiv t e removable lower modelholder 3, and 4 represents the hinged head. ofthe 'articulator providedwith socket'ed arrest") to receive the removable upper model holder; 6.

The particular construction of the ar-' icill'atonis' notessential as myimpifQ-ydnients are adaptablefor use with the'vari o us articulators nowon the 'ma'rlzet', and

I of adental articwf lat or'provided' in its base portion 2, *with hencea detail description of the articulator shown in the drawing is notnecessary.

.The models may be conveniently con-f nected with the model holders bymeans of base plates 7 and 8 respectively. These plates conform in shapeto that of the model holders and are provided with ears 9 to engage therear portions of the arms of said model holders. Each plate is providedat its rear edge with a curved lip 10 to engage the material of themodel; vThe lower plate "7 is provided near its front end with a'block11 through which a screw 12 passes upwardly, said screw passing alsothrough the plate and projecting an appreciable dis- .tance above thesame so as to enter the material of the model-and'assist in holding thesame on the plate. The screw12 serves also The upper. model holder Sisprovided at its front end with an inwardly-projecting lug l hthroughwhich a'screw 15-passes the lower port-ion of said screw also passingthrough the upper model plate and adapted to enter the material oftheupper model. The screw 15 projects above the lug 14 and is provided withanut 16 which serves to clamp a hori zlontalarin 17 to the upper modelholder. This arni' is-made withan elongated slot 18 through which thescrew passes, topermit adjustment of said arm. The arm 17 pro jeCt-sbeyond the ,free end of the model holder 8, and at its free end,1avertical, sleeve 19 is provided and is preferably made angular in crosssection for the passage of a vertically adjustable rod 20 (also angularin cross section), saidrodQO being-graduated in millimeters and providedat its lower end with a curved finger 21, which is inte'ndedto registerthe central position or median line of the models after'they have beenplaced in the, articulator, andga'lso to retailnth'e exact position ofthe-lip 'line and he o .h od o c se 20'is'he1d n the positio to which itmay be adjusted, by

. eansr "set screw 22. The has .2101? the articulator frame is pro-1vided in itsiupper face with a transverse dove-tailgroove 23- for thereception of the base block 24; of a post-25, the latter being v lcation of the mechanism (hereinafter desor hedlliqr setting up theteethv in the mod the base block 24.

normally held against displacement by means of a spring 26 secured tothe base 2 and engaging the notched upper face of A sleeve 27 is mountedupon the post and provided with an elongated slot 28 for the passage ofa set screw 21.- the latter alsopassing through the post-and engagingthe opposite wall of the sleeve 27 for holding the latter atclifferentvertical adjustments. The sleeve 27 is provided at its upper end with ahorizontal tubular portion 30 (preferably angular in cross section) forthe accommodation of a horizontal rod 31, a set screw 32 being providedto hold said rod at the proper adjustment. The front end of the rod 31has mounted upon thev portion 30 of sleeve 27 and provided with anelongated. slot 36 for the passage of the set screw 32 by means ofwhichsaid slide can be held at any desired adjustment. The intermediateportion of 'a cross bar 37 is fixed to the front end of the slide andthis'bar'(which is curved as shown in Fig; l) is provided near each ofits ends with notches 38 to receive the arms of the flexible bow 34,thelatter be ing also provided with notches 39, so that when said arms ofthe how are inserted into notches 38 of the cross bar, the tension ofthe how will cause the arms thereof to spring slightly and becomedisposed under lugs 40 which overhangthe notches 38, the notches 39 inthe arms of the bow receiving saidlugs. and thus the armsof the bow maybe adjustably connected .with the cross bar 37. When the flexible bowis'constructed of wire (as shown at 4:1 in Fig. 10), the cross bar willbe made with perforations 42 (as shown in Fig. 9) for the passage ofsaid wire, the latter being in this case provided. with notches 4:3 toengage the walls of the perforations. in the cross bar. At respectivesides of the connection of the rod 31 with the how 34, the latter isprovided with a plurality of notches 4:41 and the bow is engaged at suchnotched portion by the hooked front ends'of arins 45. These arms arehinged to a slide 46 adjustably mounted on the rod 31 and held at anydesiredadjustment by means of a-set screw at. The rod 31 may be providedwith a millimeter scale 31 if desired. The hinge connections of the arms45 with the slide 46 are such as to permit said armsto be swunghorizontally so that they may be caused to engage any of the notches 44,but said arms will preferably be made somewhat flexible sothat they willspring into said notches and be. prevented from slipping on. the bow,The notches 39 and 44Fv are so located that they represent differentsizes of arti-- ficial'teeth now manufactured. The notches 44 on the bowrepresent different sizes ofthe space occupied by. the six front teeth,each succeeding notch rearwardly representing increased size of saidspace, and the rear notches 39 serve to determine the proper positionsof the molars and the proper location of the cross bar to indicate thecorrect location of the last molar on each side.

Assuming that the models have been placed in position inthe'articulator, the operator will first adjust the gage rod 20 todetermine the median line of the models and also the lip line aspreviously explained. This adjustment of the rod 20 will also determinethe correct position to be occupied by the how 34, as illustrated inFigsl and 2. The proper elevation of the bow having now been determinedand the bow having been secured at such elevation by tightening the setscrew 21, the operator will proceed to adjust the connection of thehinged arms 45 with respect to the notched portions 44: of the springbow 34, and in accordance with the sizes of the teeth to be set into themodels. the largest of those manufactured, the arms 45 will be connectedwith the bow at the rearmost notches 44, and if the teeth to be used ina particular case are of thesmallest size manufactured, the arms -15will be connected with the bow at the notches -14 nearest the rod 31. Itis apparent that for teeth of intermediate sizes, the intermediatenotches will be employed. The space on the bow between the connection ofthe two arms 45 therewith, indicates, in every case, the correct spacewhich the six front teeth should occupy.

The position and space to be occupied by the six front teeth having nowbeen determined, the operator will move the slide 46 on the rod 31. andthis movement, being transmitted by the arms 45 to the front portion ofthe bow will cause the same to be flexed in one directiolr'or the other(according to the direction of movement of the slide 46), and in thisway, the how can be made to conform to the exact contour of that portionof the model which is to receive the teeth. The points of connection ofthe arms of the how 34 with the cross bar 37 will be determined in thesame way the connection of the arms 45 with the front portion ofthe bow.For instance, if

teeth of the largest size manufactured are to be used, the arms of thehow will be connected with the cross bar at the outermost notches 38 ofthe latter, and for teeth of other sizes, the connections between thebow and cross bar will 'be at other notches of For example, if the teethare indicated by'the connection of the arms {1:5 with the front portionof the spring bow, and-the remaining-teeth, between such connections ofthe arms 45 withthe bow and 2 median line between the models, whichisthe letter. .The bow having been adjusted for the] sizes of teeth tobe employed and also to conform to the contour of the model,

the connection of the cross bar 37 with the how. The bow 34 beingadjusted ,to the coincident with the lip line, such position ofthe'b'ow'will indicate the proper length of th'eteeth, so that correctlength and alining of the teeth will be insured.

Slight. changes might be made in the detailsfof. construction of myinvention with- .out-f; departing from the. spirit thereof or limitingits scope, and hence I do not wish "to-restrictinyself to the precisedetails here-' .inset forth.

-Having fully described my invention what-=1 claim as new andLetters-Patent, is A .L'An attachment for articulators, coindesire tosecure by prising a flexible bow, means for supportmg and adjusting saidbow to a median position between models in the articulator, and

means -associated with said bow for determining the positions in themodels of different'teeth of sets-of dilferent sizes.

[2. An attachment for articulators, com ising means for determining themedian line between models in the articnlator, a horizontal flexiblebow, means for adjusting said how to a position coincident with saidmedian line, and adjustable means asso- Y-ciated" with said bow'fordetermining the correct positions of different teeth of sets ofdifferent sizes.

3.- An attachment for articulators, comprising a horizontally disposedflexible bow, a vertically adjustable support for said bow forsustaining the latter'in a position'intermediate of the model holders ofthe articulators, and means associated with said bow tor -adjusting thesame to the contour of models located in the articulator.

4. An attachment for an articulator, comprising a flexible bow havinggraduations indicating the location ofteeth of sets of different sizes,adjustable means for sustaining said. bow in a horizontal positionbetween the model holders of the articulators, and adjustable meansattached to said sustaining means and "adapted to registerwith thegraduations of the bow."

5. An attachment for an articulator, comprising a flexible bow provided,with means .for supporting said how in a horizontal position bet-weenthe model holders of the articulator, a slide on said supporting means,and arms connected with said slide and attachable to the bow in'difierent positlons at respective sides of the center thereof todetermine the space to be occupied by thesix front teeth of a setofteeth.

An attachment for an articulator, comprising a flexible bow, adjust-ablemeans for supporting said bow in a horizontal position between the modelholders of the articulator, means for indicating in said bow the properpositions of. teeth of sets of different sizes, and means for conformingsaid bow to the contour of a particular model. I

7. An attachment for an articulator, comprising a flexible bow, meanssupporting said how in a horizontal posit-ion between the 'model holdersof the articulator, a slide mounted on. said supporting means, armshinged to said slide and attachable in different positions to the bow atrespective sides of its center, and a cross bar on said supporting meansand having adjustable connection with the arms of the bow.

1 8. The combination with an articulator,

of, adjustable devices located between the model holders of thearticulator for determining the correct positions of different teethofsetsof different sizes.

9. The combination with an articulator,

of means disposed between the model holders of the articulator fordetermining the correct spacing of teeth of sets of different sizes, andmeans for adjusting said means to position coincident with the medianline between models on the model holders of the articulator.

10.. The combination with an artioulator having model holders of avertically adjustable rod attached to one of the model holders fordetermining, the median line between models on said model holders, ahorizontally disposed flexible bow, means for supporting said bow and.adjusting it to said-median line, and means associated withsaid bow todetermine the correct positions of teeth of sets of different sizes.

11. The combination with an articulator having model holders, of an armprojecting from one of said model holders, means for adjusting said armhorizontally, a verticallyadjustable rod attached to said. arm fordetermining the median line bet-ween models on said holders, and meansadjustable to said median line for determining the location of teeth ofsets of different sizes.

12. The combination with an articulatorhaving model holders, of ahorizontal rod justable means for supporting said rod, a

' horizontallv disposed flexible bowattached to its front end to thefront end of said how,

means for adjusting saidrod longitudinally,

ewe-1 an adjustable cross bar on said rod, means for ad ustablyconnectmg the arms of the bow with said cross bar,

and adjustably connected With the 100W, at

a slide mountedon. salt rod; and gums attached to sald s11de* IntStiII101 1y whereof, I have signed this specification 1n the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM W. EVANS. Vfitnesses R. S. FERGUSON, S. G. NGTTINGHAM.

